Dzul says govt may issue new orders on Covid booster jabs
Published on: Thursday, December 14, 2023
By:
FMT, Elill Easwaran
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the take-up rate for the second Covid-19 vaccine booster is at 54% while the third booster rate is ‘quite low’.
PUTRAJAYA: The health ministry might issue new directives for Covid-19 booster jabs soon, especially for those who are more vulnerable to complications from the virus, says its minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Dzulkefly said the take-up rate for the second Covid-19 vaccine booster stands at 54% while the rate for the third booster is “quite low”.
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“Perhaps in a little while, the ministry may issue some directives for boosters, especially for those in the vulnerable groups,” he told reporters after his ministry’s monthly assembly this morning.
Yesterday, the number of Covid-19 cases increased by 88% to 12,757 in the past week compared to 6,796 in the preceding week.
Dzulkefly also said there was a sufficient stock of vaccines available.
“The vaccines are not expired and the ones we have can still protect the people from any new Covid-19 variants out there.”
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He also advised members of the public to wear face masks in crowded areas and to quarantine themselves for five days if they test positive for Covid-19.
With the holiday season coming up, he urged the public to also follow the basic SOPs when it comes to Covid-19, such as good hygiene practices and wearing a face mask if unwell.
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“Many will be out and about for holidays but don’t use that as an excuse to ignore the basic SOPs,” he said.
In his Covid-19 update yesterday, health director-general Dr Radzi Abu Hassan said the majority of the 12,757 cases reported over the past week exhibited mild symptoms and did not require hospitalisation.
While there was a sharp rise in cases, he said this was in line with the global trend at the end of the year, adding that the situation in Malaysia was under control with healthcare facilities operating within their capabilities.
Radzi also said the ministry was anticipating an increase in Covid-19 cases after the Christmas and New Year celebrations, as well as due to the school holidays which start on Saturday.
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